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How to be a dominant field event specialist

Field event specialists are some of the most unsung heroes in track and field. They are the first ones to take the field and are often overshadowed by the glorified distance and sprint runners. Yet those who participate in field events are much needed, especially for college coaches looking to build a championship team. This article will dive into the most popular field events and what you can do to better yourself in your respective event. So whether you want to compete in the triple jump, the pole vault or the shot put, you’ll find just what you need to get started on the right track.

TRIPLE JUMP

The triple jump is one of the toughest field events to compete in. The event is said to be stressful on the body, especially to one’s ankles.

One of the first things a beginner must do in this event is get the right amount of air and balance underneath their legs. Have you ever seen a jumper doing a high-knee skip? They aren’t prancing around in la-la land. It’s a warm tactic used to get loose and prepare for the jump phase of the triple jump.

When you take the runway, you want to run full speed. There’s never a such thing as running too fast the because the power there is in your jump, the further you will land.

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Next, you’ll need to prepare for the hop phase. This is when you take three big leaps down the runway. The key to doing this is extending your take off leg. You must do this in order to cover as much ground as possible. You will need to use a lot of power when you plant your take off leg because you will then transfer the energy from one leg to another. Then you will repeat it two more times.

There really is no secret recipe when it comes to getting a lot of air. It is something you have to practice hundreds of times and over time, you’ll begin to notice an increase in your distance.

When it comes to sticking your landing, never land standing straight up. You’ll want to land feet first at an angle so that the heels of your feet land in the sand first. Never land flat footed as it could cause a serious injury. Your arms should be stretched out in front of you. The best way to picture this is to sit down with your legs in front of you and reach for your toes as if you were stretching. Try to emulate that pose when landing.

POLE VAULT

If you’re a dare devil and you’re not afraid of heights, you’ve won half the battle when it comes to the pole vault. Still, the pole vault is by far the trickiest field event to compete in because of the pole itself. Although it looks sturdy, it’s very bendable; therefore, you’ll need a ton of power and speed in your take off to keep the pole from wobbling.

Once you’re ready to take flight down the runway, you’ll want to place the pole on ground must hold the pole close to your chest according to

Crossing over the bar will be the most challenging part. Your body will be in an awkward position, but your focus must be on getting over the bar without knocking it over. To do this, it’s important to keep your body in a tight position, meaning don’t allow yourself to loosen up. You will need a ton of power to transfer yourself over the bar. Your feet will be the first to go.

Once you’ve planted the pole and you’re ready to cross the bar, you will use all of your upper body strength to propel yourself in an upside-down position. The mental toughness required to do this is huge. It is not easy to flip your body in the air upside down. If you get worried midair, there’s a good chance you will fall and could sustain a serious injury.

Once you cross over you can enjoy the ride down knowing you accomplished your goal, which was to simply cross the bar.

HIGH JUMP

There’s nothing cooler than watching athletes defy gravity and the high jump is the perfect representation of that. The key to a successful jump is taking the right angle and getting the right amount of leverage.

According to eliteathleticperformance.com, when you get ready to take off, identify which leg is going to give you the most stability. In order to be successful in the high jump, you’ll need a killer knee drive. If you watch high jumpers on television or in person, the last leg that is planted into the ground is used to propel both legs over the bar.

You’ll need to become familiar with the term arching, as it is used to describe the curvature you form with your back when you get ready to cross the bar. This technique will keep your back from touching the bar, but you will need to elevate your legs as soon as you feel your back cross the bar in order to clear it. Much like the pole vault, there is so much practice that goes into it. Do not look at how many times the bar falls. Even Olympians struggle to clear the ball because there are so many details, small and large that go into it. Patience is key. Most athletes go into each meet looking to have small progressions.

Be sure to do your own research. You may find that you enjoy one event more than the other. You may find one to be more difficult that another. In order to be a great field event specialist, you have to be very comfortable. You want to look like a natural.

In part two of field event specialists, we will take a look at the shot put, discus, hammer throw and the javelin throw. You will get in-depth synopsis of what a beginner should do to be successful in their respective event.

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